Comment Period Ends for 2018 Draft Impaired Waterbodies

NORTH LITTLE ROCK— The federal Clean Water Act requires Arkansas to submit a report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the quality of water in the state every two years. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) released the proposed 2018 303(d) List, which is part of the report, today and seeks public comment on the proposed list through Monday, September 10, 2018. The proposed 2018 list is available at https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/planning/integrated/303d/list.aspx.

“Arkansas is home to significant, high-quality water resources, and has advanced state-led watershed improvement initiatives. As ADEQ works with Arkansans to protect and enhance these waters, the proposed 2018 303(d) List is a key tool for setting priorities for additional, scientific studies and resources, including funds, to provide the biggest impact on water quality in Arkansas,” stated Becky Keogh, Director of ADEQ. “The proposed 2018 303(d) List we release today represents the culmination of months of work by ADEQ staff in compiling and analyzing a wealth of accepted data from samples taken by ADEQ and multiple sources across the state.” 

Water-quality data from stream and lake sampling sites were considered during the development of the proposed 2018 list. The evaluated water-quality data were collected by multiple entities including ADEQ; other state, federal, and local government agencies; and private entities in Arkansas and from surrounding states.

ADEQ will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed 2018 list on Friday, August 17, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the commission room at ADEQ Headquarters at 5301 Northshore Drive in North Little Rock. ADEQ’s Office of Water Quality staff will provide a brief presentation on the proposed 2018 list prior to the public hearing. 

Comments on the proposed list may be emailed to WaterbodyComments@adeq.state.ar.us. Once the comment period ends on Monday, September 10, 2018, ADEQ will compile all comments, create a responsive summary, make appropriate revisions, and then deliver a finalized 305(b) report to EPA.

CONTACT: press@adeq.state.ar.us